It Will Always Be You
by IzzieKRV
Summary: The group returns to Capeside for a wedding and old feelings are rekindled.
1. Prologue

**I loved Pacey and Andie from Dawson's Creek and thought that they belonged together. This is my first DC's story and I changed some of the things that happened. Jen did not die (I hated that they killed her off, I wish they would have given her a happily ever after ending). Please R&R. Only the prologue is written from Pacey's POV.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing…except my car**

**Prologue **

My name is Pacey Witter and I've fallen in love twice in my life. The first is time was with Andrea McPhee (Andie for short). Andie was beautiful and smart. She had no problem calling me on my bullshit (and I was full of it) but she never made me feel stupid or beneath her in any way. She was first person who truly believed in me and made me believe in myself. She was the first woman that I loved, the first woman who loved me, all of me completely with no judgment. The second time was with Josephine Potter (Joey). Joey was the girl who was my best friend's best friend. The one who he was supposed to end up with at the end of the day. She was the unattainable girl who you couldn't believe would actually fall for someone like you (well someone like me anyway). And yet she did. Joey was the girl who you never felt worthy off, the one you knew could do anything, be anything, choose anyone and yet for some insane reason she chose me, at least for a little while.

Those two incredible women changed my life in different ways. They helped shape me into the man I am today. It's been years since I've spoken to either of them, but I do keep up with their lives. Andie, via Jack her brother who also happens to be my brother's fiancé (funny how life works out). Joey via Jen (one of our mutual friends) and Dawson (the best friend who I mentioned earlier). They have both gone on to do great things just as I knew they would. Andie became a doctor and Joey a writer.

In the 10 years since we graduated high school and my relationship with Joey ended, I've dated other women, been in other relationships but none of them have come close to what I had with either Andie or Joey. I've been asked before if I think I've met my true love (when you get to know me a little better, you'll understand the humor in that). The closeted romantic, the guy deep down says, _yes, I have_, but the cynic in me asks,_ is there such a thing_? I loved them both, always will, but in completely different ways. I was always afraid of not living up to the potential they saw in me and was terrified that they would realize that I wasn't worth it and leave me. Interestingly enough, I broke it off with both of them. Andie, because I couldn't get past the crushing betrayal she dealt me and Joey because I didn't want to hold her back. 10 years have given me a lot more perspective on life, the past and the mistakes I've made. Interestingly enough, I don't really regret a lot, even the mistakes because they led me to where I am today. The only thing I've truly regretted was letting go of the most important person to me. I'm telling you about Joey and Andie because although I love them both, there is only one with whom I've never stopped being in love with. My name is Pacey Witter and this is the story of how I found my true love again.

Capeside, Massachusetts, the town where I grew up. When I left this place I never thought I'd want to set foot here again but life has a funny way of screwing with us. My group of friends, the gang, as people used to call us, has all gone our separate ways over the years. Dawson went to California to become an awesome film maker, Joey to New York, Andie to Italy, then to Boston and me to D.C. The only ones who stayed here where Jen and Jack, which is ironic because we all thought that Jen would be the first to get out of here and Jack wouldn't be far behind. But there goes life again, screwing with us. Jen got pregnant after college and realized that there is nowhere else she would rather raise her baby, especially with her Grams here. And Jack, well Jack met my brother Doug and as they say the rest was history. Doug is the town's sheriff, took over after my father died a few years ago. They've had their share of hardships over the years, but they've gotten through them. Anyway, back to the story of our past, we'll get to the present soon enough.

Here's a short history lesson. Our little group started out with Dawson, Joey and me. We grew up together, been friends since we were kids, although you can say Dawson was the glue that held us together. He and Joey were the kind of friends who grew up sleeping in each other's bed and you just knew that they were destined to be "soul mates" for life. Dawson was also my best friend and I use to feel like Joey tolerated me because of it. Anyway fast forward to sophomore year of high school. Dawson and Joey had just started to feel that certain tension that teenagers get when they realize that _my friend who I thought was just a friend is not just a friend. _Yeah, as you can imagine, it was interesting watching them navigate through the will they won't they game. And just when it seemed like they would, in comes Jen Lindley. Ahhh Jenifer, she was gorgeous and oh so cosmopolitan. Don't get me wrong, Joey is beautiful, hair the color of dark chocolate and eyes that you can get lost in and all that. But Jen, well Jen had been sent to Capeside by her parents from New York to live with her Grams, who happened to be Daswon's next-door neighbor, because she was getting a little out of control in the big city. Anyway, small-town boy meets city-girl and there were fireworks. Cue the tension between Jen and Joey, Dawson and Joey. That relationship ended due to a little misunderstanding when Jen's ex-boyfriend re-entered the picture. Then Joey and Dawson started officially dating but Jen decided she wanted Dawson back and did a lot of let's just say "high school girl things" to try to make it happen. That didn't work, but in came Jack and Andie. Jack had a huge crush on Joey (this was all before even he knew he was gay) and she kinda developed one on him. That ended the Joey/Dawson round one relationship, but I met Andie, more on that later. Needless to say Joey/Jack did not last because of the obvious, and Andie and I broke up for a whole different set of reasons, she cheated on me with a fellow mental patient. I'm not making this shit up. Then Joey and I started our thing, which pissed the hell out of Dawson and caused us not to speak to each other for a while. She was always torn between him and I, but our relationship ended with me letting her go because I didn't want to hold her back. Oh and somewhere in all of that mess Jen and I had a thing (not sure what else to call it). Somehow despite all of the drama and craziness, we all managed to stay friends (some more than others). I've always thought it was interesting that the stuff that pushed Dawson and I apart, brought him closer to Andie, Jen and Jack and the things that pushed Joey and Dawson apart, brought me closer to Jen and Jack, etc…

Anyway, I tell you this to explain what is bringing us all back here, yes you heard right. The old gang is getting back together. Jack and Doug are making it official. Yep, the wedding's in a week. Dawson and I are groomsmen and Jen, Andie and Joey are bridesmaids. Everyone decided to come in a little early to make sure everything was running smoothly and I think we all realized that this might be the last opportunity in a while for all of us to gather together in Capeside. I have a feeling it is going to be an interesting couple of weeks.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Stepping off the plane, Pacey took a moment to take his surroundings. Although some things had changed, a lot had stayed the same. The airport, or airstrip really, had a one runway lane that let the passengers off on the strip and they had to climb down the portable stairs and walk out to the hangar, which served as the airport. He hadn't realized how much he missed this place until this moment, hell he'd never thought that he would miss this place at all. But this was home and he figured that what everyone said was true, there really wasn't any place like home. A lot had happened in this tiny town, a lot of important milestones for him and when he'd left, he thought he'd left it all behind. Maybe living in D.C. had given him a better appreciation for quieter times. Shit, he really was getting old. Pacey had opted to rent a car while he was in town because he knew that Doug and Jack would be too busy to chauffer him around. He headed over to the small desk set up for rental cars, information, customer service, and every other service that was available. He hadn't bother making a reservation because he'd assumed that there couldn't be that many people coming to town, so naturally there would be one available. Before he could pull out his license from his wallet, he heard his name being called out from behind him

"Pacey? Pacey Witter?" The voice was slightly high pitched and vaguely familiar. He turned towards the direction it seemed to be coming from.

"OMG, it _**is **_you" The woman rushing towards him also looked vaguely familiar. She threw her arms around his neck and laughed "Duh, I should have known you'd be back with Dough and Jack's wedding, but I didn't think you would come this early" she stepped back and kept going "well, I didn't think you would come back at all considering how fast you skipped out of here, I'm pretty sure there's a pool somewhere with folks betting on you."

Pacey was still recovering from the whirlwind of the petit redhead in front of him. She was still talking but he'd stopped listening to her words and kept looking at her.

"Carrie!" he exclaimed, when he finally realized who she was, interrupting her continued speech. "Carrie Matthews"

"Yeah, duh Pacey, don't tell me you forgot me?" The look on her face was so crestfallen that he hugged her again

"Of course I didn't forget you carebear" he smiled jokingly

"Pacey!, no one's called me that since you left" she pouted

"Well, I'm back now" Carrie was the younger sister of two of his friends growing up. David and Danny Matthews, they were twins who were the polar opposites of each other, yet they had both befriended him and they had remained pretty close throughout high school. All though D&D, the nickname he'd given them, had not been a part of his core group of friends, they had always had his back. He used to hang out at their house sometimes and their little sister would always follow them around, even though she was six years younger than they were. She use to have this teddy bear that she would take everywhere with her and Pacey had started calling her carebear when she was 6. His sister Gretchen use to babysit her when she was younger and Carrie grew really attached to her. After Gretchen left for college, Carrie had sort of latched on the Pacey. He really didn't mind, because she was such a sweet kid and being the youngest in his family, he didn't have a younger sibling. So he kind of took her under his wing and looked out for her when her brothers weren't around.

"Look at you kid, you're all grown up" he shook his head and realized that time really had flown by.

"Yep, I just graduated from college and I'm trying to make some money while I'm looking for a job, so I'm working here"

Walking the rest of the way to the desk with her, they chatted about the past and caught each other up on their lives.

"So, how long are you here for?" Carrie asked him sitting down. Pacey Witter had been her first crush. Even when she was six years old, she'd thought he was so cool because he used to pick her up and carry her around the room like he was flying an airplane. When she had turned 9, she'd thought she was in love with him, even though she'd had no idea what it actual meant to be in love. Everywhere him and her brothers had gone, she had tried to follow. He'd always treated her like a kid sister and she'd hated it. When he'd started dating Andie, Carrie use to wish that Andie would just go away, and when she had, Carrie had felt kind of bad, then when he'd started dating Joey, she'd wished that she would go away too. Looking back now, she had to laugh at herself and her thoughts.

"I'm planning to be here for two weeks, hang around a little after the wedding to catch up with old friends"

"Well Witter, you're in luck, you get the last car we have"

"What! No, no no" Joey Potter cried out from behind them. Josephine Potter was time conscious and usually very organized. She set goals for herself and accomplished them. She would normally had reserved a car, but things had gotten hectic leading up to her trip and it had kept getting pushed to the bottom of her list until it had fallen off completely. When she had walked into the hangar, her purpose was to get a car and get to her sister Betsy's place by a certain time. So seeing Pacey Witter standing at the desk talking to the attendant was not a part of her plan. She had frozen in place and had to gather herself before moving forward. She hadn't seen him in 10 years, she knew what had been going on in his life because of Dawson and their other friends, but she hadn't seen or spoken to him in that time. Ever since the night he'd left her standing on the docks after breaking her heart and sailing away on his boat, she'd felt like something was missing. She had moved on from Pacey, had dated and fallen in love again, but there was something that always held her back from fully committing and she'd always suspected that it was because they'd never gotten closure to their relationship. She had just been about to speak and alert them to her presence when she'd heard the attendant tell Pacey that he'd gotten the last car.

"Please don't say that" Joey pleaded ignoring the look of utter surprise that was coming from Pacey. "You have to have something else"

"Sorry, Joey" Carrie smiled sympathetically "that was the last one. You know this is the busy season and with the wedding, we've had a lot more people coming through than normal. But you and Pacey are going the same way, I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you a ride"

Joey turned to finally look at Pacey.

"Hi" she smiled tentatively "I really didn't mean to be rude, I saw you and was coming to say hi when I heard about the car, and kinda freaked"

She still played with the strands of her hair when she was nervous. That was the first thing that he noticed. At the moment, she was twirling the tips of her chestnut hair so hard he thought she would strip the color off.

"Come on, I have to be hallucinating, Josephine Potter would never leave home without making sure every detail is taken care off" he smiled and teased her to try and put her at ease

"Shut up" she lightly punched him in the arm. "I will have you know that I had everything under control, and then… well, then I didn't. Not everyone has the Pacey Witter luck"

"What can I say, it's just natural" he smiled again "Seriously though Joey, I can give you a ride"

"Are you sure? I don't want to put you out of your way"

"I will give you a ride" he said looking at her pointedly

"Ok, thanks".

Pacey said bye to Carrie and turned to help Joey with her bags as they walked out.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

They had been driving in silence for 10 minutes before he couldn't take it anymore.

"So, how has everything…" he started at the same time Joey said "Why did that girl look so familiar?"

They both laughed before Pacey answered her. "That's Carrie Matthews"

"Danny and Dave's little sister?"

"Yep"

"Oh, wow"

"Yeah, it makes me realize that we are getting old"

"Come on Pacey, we are only 28"

"Yeah, but sometimes doesn't it feel like time is flying by?

"I guess, but then they balance out the times you feel like you're not really going anywhere"

"Somehow, I don't think that applies to you Joey"

They had driven another few minutes in silence when Joey blurted out "Why did you really break up with me Pacey?"

He was so stunned by the question that he almost swerved off the road. "What?" he shot her a disbelieving look when he'd straightened out the wheel.

"I want to know the real reason you broke up with me 10 years ago."

"Joey" he shook his head

"Pacey" she said softly "I need an answer, I need closure. You and I, we never really got that. You left after telling me that you had to let me go to pursue my dream and that you didn't want to hold me back and we haven't seen or spoken to each other since then. I know you Pacey, you use to tell me that we had to fight to be together and that nothing should stand in the way of true love. So what made you stop fighting?"

He pulled the car over to the side of the road because he didn't want to have this conversation while driving, hell hadn't planned on having this conversation all. He'd figured with everyone else around he and Joey would have some awkward moments, but find a way to repair their friendship. But he should have known that Joey would want to analyze it.

"Joey, I really did believe that I was holding you back, I knew that you were considering taking a year off to sail with me and that just wasn't you"

"I wasn't going to take the year off, we discussed that"

"Yeah, but the fact that you even considered it made me realize that I was a bad influence on you"

"Ok, I believe that that was a part of it, but like I said, I know you, you never quit at something you truly love unless it's to protect yourself. We had a real shot at making it work and you knew that."

He sighed and took her hands in his "Would it have worked though Joey? Were we right for each other? I loved you so much and when we were together, it was great and we were happy, sometimes, but…"

"But something was missing" she finished for him

"Yes, I don't think I ever truly challenged you. We spent so much of our time fighting outside forces that we never really got to know each other, and we were complacent in that."

"And we shouldn't have been" she nodded

"No we shouldn't. I felt like I only knew a part of you, even though I'd known you most of my life, there was still a part you held back, almost like you were waiting for the right person to come along and bring it out.

"I wasn't the only one Pacey, you held a lot of yourself from me too and sometimes I felt like you deliberately put up walls so no one could see how vulnerable you were." She squeezed his hands in hers "I was always a little scared to push you too hard, I didn't want to hurt you, so I became passive"

"Joey, you weren't responsible for making me want to be ambitious "

"No, but I shouldn't have been afraid to push you."

After a couple of seconds, she sighed and leaned forward to gently kissed him on the lips "Thank you"

"What for?"

"You could have held on to us and I would have let you, but you saw what I didn't at the time and realized that in the long run, we would have made each other miserable. "

"Maybe not miserable, but definitely bitter" he kissed her again, this time on the forehead "Do you think we can go back to being friends?"

"I think I can manage that" she sat back in her seat and pulled her seatbelt on, then waited until he was back on the road to ask "so what about Andie?"

For the second time that day, Pacey almost swerved off the road.. "What _**about**_ Andie"

"You're really going to try and convince me that she isn't the one that keeps you from fully committing to another relationship? Come on, even when we were together, I knew that there was something that you and Andie had that we didn't."

"Andie and I have been over for a long time and unlike you and me, we parted on pretty good terms"

"If you say so" she smirked

"Shut up" he murmured

"I guess it doesn't really matter now anyway" she waited

"Why?" he saw her grin "Not that it mattered in the first place" he said defensively

"Well, from what I understand, her boyfriend is close to proposing"

"What? I mean goo…good for him, he'd be a lucky guy" Pacey clenched his fist around the steering wheel

"That's it?"

"What do you want me to do Joey?"

"Fight, fight for what you want, what you've always wanted"

"I destroyed her once Joey, she made a mistake and asked for my forgiveness and I refused, she fought for me and I did nothing but hurt her, why would she consider anything I have to say to her about love now?"

"Because she's Andie" Joey said simply

"Are we seriously having this conversation?"

"Hey" she laughed, "you're the one who wanted to be friends, and I'm just being a good friend and pushing you to go after the woman you love."

"You said it yourself, she has a boyfriend"

"Like that's ever stopped you before" Joey knew that Andie had been seeing someone for the past few months, but it wasn't as serious as she'd led Pacey to believe. She and Andie talked once in a while and kept in touch mostly through e-mails and texts. She was busy with her career and Andie was busy with med school. In the back of her mind, even when she and Pacey had been together, she'd known that him and Andie were meant to be. She didn't think that Andie had ever really gotten over Pacey. She'd moved on and because she was the type of person who always tried to make the best out of every situation, she had accepted Pacey and Joey's relationship and had played a big role in repairing Dawson and Pacey's relationship also. Although Andie had her own issues, Joey had always admired how the concern she had for others.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Pacey didn't want to think about Andie marrying some other guy. He'd done his best not to think about Andie at all the past few years, not successfully of course. She always seemed to find her way into his thoughts at the most random and inopportune times. Whenever something major, hell even the small things happened, she was the first person he thought about and wanted to tell.

Pacey had always skated through everything, he was a pretty bad student and didn't particular give a damn about it. He always figured that being the screw up that he was, he was going to end up working the docks in Capeside. No one had come along to tell him he could be more. Dawson tried to encourage him, but he was so wrapped up in his own ever evolving drama that Pacey got shoved to the side a lot. His brother Doug was also someone who tried to encourage him, but Pacey saw Doug as the "perfect son" and that skewed his thoughts. Pacey had met Andie when her family moved to town and they had immediately clashed. He'd been driving his father's police cruiser and she had hit him with her car. He could still remember their first encounter. She had jumped out of her brand new convertible and run over to him thinking that he was a police officer and he had played along because he figured if he could contain the situation, his dad would never have to hear about it. He had given her a hard time especially after finding out that she was from a wealthy family because he'd thought that she was just another spoiled, self-entitled brat. When she had found out that he just another student, she had given him hell and then gotten back at him by offering to set him up with the girl he was crushing on as peace offering. She'd proceeded to tell her that he had a heart stripe (something she'd made up) and only had a short time to live. After that, they had fallen into a routine of bantering whenever they were around each other. He had finally asked her out after finding out through Dawson that she liked him. Their first date had been very revealing and everything he'd thought he'd known about her had changed. He'd shown up at her house through a series of mix-ups and her trying her hardest not to let him, and found out that the Norman Rockwell life he thought she lived was an illusion. Her father had pretty much abandoned their family for work, leaving Andie and Jack to deal with their mother who had had a mental breakdown due to their older brother's death. Although Jack tried, he couldn't really deal with their mom, so it was left to Andie to hold everything together. Pacey was in awe of the way she managed to balance all of the things going on in her life. Early in their relationship, he'd messed up by taking her to a dance then trying to hook up with someone else (the crush he'd mentioned before). Andie had seen them and run out. It wasn't until that moment that he'd realized how much he'd wanted her in his life and how much she'd meant to him. The thought of losing her had shaken him and he'd vowed to himself that if she forgave him he would do everything in his power to never hurt her like that again. His relationship with Andie was never simple because they were so different, but they'd always managed to be there for each other, no matter what. She had helped him see himself in a new light. She use to call him her hero. Pacey never saw himself as anyone's hero, if anything, she was his. He use to imagine what their lives would be like together because he couldn't see a future without her. When she had come home from the rehabilitation center, he could tell that something was off with her, but he didn't want to lose that feeling of being with her. When she had told him about Mark, his entire world had come crashing down and he had closed himself off. He'd realized later why it was so hard to forgive her. He'd put her on a pedestal and the first time she'd really messed up, he couldn't see past it. He had moved on with Joey, but had never fully committed to anyone since Andie. Despite what he had told himself, he knew that he'd never be truly happy without her.

**I promise, Andie will be in the next chapter. I wanted to get all of the Joey/Pacey stuff out of the way. Thanks for the reviews and TL22, thanks for the encouraging words.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Andie McPhee couldn't contain her excitement. Everyone was going to be here this weekend. She hadn't seen all of her friends together in over 10 years. She had graduated high school early and moved to Italy for a couple of years before returning to Boston to go to Harvard. People always say that their high school years were either the best or the worst time of their lives, for Andie, it was both. She'd met her closest friends, fallen in love, gotten her heart crushed and had a major mental breakdown, all during her three years of high school in Capeside. Most people would look at some of the experiences she'd gone through as a setback, but Andie choose to see them as a necessity. If she hadn't had had her breakdown when she did, it would have happened at another time and who knows where she would have been? It made her stronger and more aware of her limitations. She'd grown as a person in Capeside. She'd found strength, security and an assurance in herself that she hadn't had before. She'd been back a few times over the last few years. Living in Boston, she had no excuses not to come down to see her brother. She didn't want to make excuses because she loved seeing Jack so happy and she'd grown to love Doug almost as much. She tried to come down at least once a year and they also came to visit her. Her schedule kept her too busy to do much else. That was the life of a resident, and she loved it. When she had first started her residency, Jack had worried that the stress and general craziness of it would make her regress, but even he could now admit that she was in her element. Andie would say that organized chaos was her thing. She loved her life in Boston, she had great friends, a job that she wouldn't give up for the world and her apartment was perfectly suited for her. The only hitch in all of that was that she had just broken up with her boyfriend of six months, or he had broken up with her, if she was honest. He'd claimed that she wasn't "all in". Peter was a great guy, he was cute, kind and an all-around nice guy, but he had been looking for "the one", the one that he could spend the rest of his life with and he didn't think Andie was ready for that, at least not with him. Andie really liked him, maybe he didn't make her heart beat faster, or her pulse race, but she knew he couldn't break her heart either. Ever since she and Pacey had ended things, she'd made sure to never date guys who could cause serious damage to her heart.

Andie considered herself a strong person, someone who could go through hell and come back on top, but she didn't think she could take another heartbreak like that again. She had no illusions about what had happened, she knew that the break up was her fault, but the fact that Pacey had moved on so completely and even used her to get to Joey had torn her up. She had made a huge mistake sleeping with Mark at the rehabilitation center, she didn't like thinking of it as a mental hospital. When she had gone into the center, she had been terrified. She was losing her mind just like her mother had and it scared her. The time that she had spent there had been relieving because there were other people around who understood what she had been going through. They were going through the same thing. The real world had seem so far away. It was almost like she needed to remove herself from reality in order to survive because if she'd thought about it, she would have left and ran back to Pacey. He had somehow become her world, this sarcastic, frustrating, often insecure and mostly amazing guy that she had fallen in love with. When everything was falling apart around her, he was her anchor, her hero. As corny as it sounded, and he would deny ever being anyone's hero, Pacey was hers. He claimed that he was a screw-up and was going nowhere, but Andie had seem in him the potential to be great and she had told him that, often. When she had realized that they would be releasing her from the center, she had panicked, she wasn't sure she was ready to face the world again and she was terrified that she would go back down the same path. She didn't want to drag Pacey back into the mess that was her life and she didn't want to have to depend on him for her sanity, so she had done the stupidest thing she could ever do and slept with Mark. She'd regretted it right away and when Pacey came to pick her up, had felt so guilty that she couldn't look him in the eye. She had confessed to him and he had cut her out of his life. She'd done a lot of crazy things that year just to get him to notice her, but he had fallen in love with Joey. When he had asked her to prom, she had been ecstatic, thinking that maybe he was ready to truly forgive her, but he had only taken her because of Joey. After that, she had realized that she wasn't the one he wanted so she'd made peace with the fact that he was with someone else and had decided to graduate early and leave. She'd tried to be as gracious about it as possible, because she really did want the best for both of them. Even though his and Joey's relationship hadn't lasted, Andie had to live with the fact that Pacey made his choice a long time ago and it wasn't her. She loved Joey, like she did all her friends and held no ill feelings towards her. Admittedly she got that slight tightening in her chest every once in a while when thought about it, but that was all in the past now. She would enjoy her time with her friends and then return to her life.

She pulled into Jack and Doug's driveway half an hour earlier than she'd expected to. Traffic from the city had been a lot lighter than usual. She knew that neither of them would have gotten home yet so she used the key that they had given her last year to let herself in. She loved coming here, seeing the evidence of the happiness that Jack had managed to find for himself. Growing up, even though she had been the one with the mental issues, she'd always known who she was and found some comfort in that. Jack on the other hand had been struggling with his identity and never really seemed comfortable in his own skin. The man he had grown up to be was amazing, he was a teacher who inspired kids on a daily basis. She knew for a fact that his students loved and admired him. She couldn't be happier for him. She put away her things and changed into her bikini. Her other favorite thing about coming here was the lake that bordered their property. The first time she'd seen it, she had literally squealed. It was so beautiful and peaceful. She curled up in one of the beach chairs that Jack and Doug had set up, intending to take a 10 minute nap and then go for a swim.

That's how Pacey found her, curled up with her hands folded under her head, one foot stretched out and the other tucked beneath her. After dropping Joey off at Betsy's place he had headed for Doug and Jack's place figuring they would be home by now. He'd rung the door bell and gotten no answer, although there was a car in the driveway, so he'd come around back, hoping that Doug carried on the Witter family tradition of hiding a key near the backdoor. When he'd rounded the corner, the first thing he'd seen was her outstretched leg. He'd dropped his bags near the door and headed over to the beach chairs. His first thought when he saw her lying there was, god, she still takes my breath away. And she did. He had to sit down in the chair next to hers, because he didn't think his shaking knees would hold him up much longer. If she had this kind of effect on him while sleeping, he didn't want to find out what she would do to him awake. He sat there for a good 10 minutes just drinking in her presence. Leaning forward, he lightly ran the back of his hand along her cheek. When she stirred, he pulled his hand away like he'd been caught doing something wrong.

Andie had been dreaming that he was there, she felt his hand on her cheek and turned her head into it but it was gone. She sighed lightly already awake before full consciousness came over her. She realized that her nap must have evolved into a full blown sleep session and smile to herself. She never had time to take more than a power nap during the day, so her body must already be adjusting to vacation mode.

Pacey watched her as her eyes fluttered. He knew she was awake. Andie always slept deeply and woke up aware. He continued to watch her with a grin on his face as she unfolded her body and stretched slowly, her eyes still closed. He must have made a sound because they popped open and her head snapped towards him at the same time. He saw the surprise, hesitation and another emotion he couldn't place flash in her eyes before she hit him with her 100 watt smile and jumped out of her chair to come over and hug him.

"Pacey!" she exclaimed pulling back before he had a chance to do more than blink.

Her hair was longer and it smelled like sunshine. When they were younger, she'd always worn it shoulder length or shorter. Now it was half way down her back. In the sunlight, it looked like little specks of gold were weaved into it. And her eyes, Pacey had always loved her eyes. They were like stormy clouds, always on the verge of either slowly retreating or raining down a full blown storm. No one who had known Andie before would use the word calm to describe her. She was always on the move, doing something or fixing something or someone. But now there was something different about her, something else in those eyes, they were still stormy, but it looked like she had also found some peace.

"Andie" he grinned, "or should I say Dr. McPhee"

"Gawd, I love hearing that" she stood up and turned to look out at the lake

"I bet you do" he took another moment to study her before standing to join her. There was definitely something new. She was still Andie, the constant energy that surrounded her was the same but was also a stillness that hadn't been there before. She closed her eyes and tilted her head towards the sun.

"It's so beautiful out here, there are very few places I would rather be right now"

"Yeah, I know what you mean" Pacey nodded, but he wasn't looking at the lake, he was looking at her and realizing that Joey had been right. She'd seen what he couldn't bring himself to admit. Andie was the one, she'd always been. Even when things between them hadn't been good, they could somehow find a way to be there for each other. Like he'd told Joey, him and Andie had parted as friends, and that was mainly because of her. She refused to give up on the people she loved and even if it hurt her, she did what she thought was best for others.

Andie took a deep breath before turning to look at him. She had been shocked and surprised to see Pacey sitting there staring at her when she'd woken up. At first she'd thought she had been dreaming but had quickly dispelled the thought. She'd been so happy in the moment that all of her hesitations and anxieties about seeing him had melted away and she'd gone on instinct. Now that the initial moment was over, those anxieties set in again. She and Pacey had been in a pretty good place when she'd left, but she was very much aware of the fact that she was still in love with him. It wasn't something that she could lie to herself about, although she'd done a great job lying to everyone else about it. She had to get through the next two weeks living with him, so she had to be very careful because unfortunately, he was the one person who see straight through her.

"How ya doing Pacey Witter?"

"Not bad, but not as good as you McPhee"

"Not from what I hear, sounds like you are living your dreams" she smiled before turning back to the lake

"More or less, honestly Andie, I never thought I would be where I am now, at least not career wise"

"Yeah? Well I always knew you would"

"You did, didn't you?" he looked down at her profile

"I'm glad you're happy Pacey, I think about you sometimes, wonder what you're doing"

"Well you can always pick up the phone and call you know"

"I do," she said smiling sheepishly "Via Jack. He gives me the play by play"

"Oh I can only image" he closed his eyes for a second as she laughed, "Seriously, there's too much history here for us not to keep in touch" taking her hand in his and turning her to face him, he brought it to rest between them "you were always the first Andie"

She knew that he was just being sentimental and didn't want to read too much into it. So she laughed it off and smirked "Oh, yeah, funny I don't remember it that way"

He shook his head " You were, you were the first who tested me, who challenged me and I'll tell you the truth, even to this day I don't feel like I've got it quite right yet"

"Pacey, it's not about getting it right" she sighed before continuing "It's about knowing when it's wrong and doing something about it"

He stared at her for a moment before replying "And there you go again, telling me exactly what I need to hear when I need to hear it" Maybe he hadn't waited too long, maybe, this was their time, maybe everything they'd gone through together and apart was leading them back to this place, where it all started. "How do you do that? It's a gift and if I've never thanked you for it, thank you"

"Oh no no no, it's always worked both ways Pacey, but you're welcome" she whispered looking him in the eye. He'd always had this effect on her, from the moment she'd met him he had the ability to make her insides melt and right now she could fell herself getting pulled in. She thought she saw the same thing in his eyes, but she knew she was projecting her feelings onto him. Before she could do something stupid like reach up and kiss him, she lightly pushed away from him and set a smiled on her face.

"How long are you here" she asked as she started back towards the house

Pacey had no choice but to follow her. They had been having a moment and she'd pulled away. He wondered if it had something to do with her boyfriend. Shit, her boyfriend, the one who was close to proposing. Damn, he needed to find out if Andie still had feelings for him and convince her that she belonged with him, not some other guy.

"As long as I need to" he murmured

"What?"

"Nothing, I said I haven't set a date to go back. I took a temporary leave so I'm on my own time, what about you?" He grabbed his bags by the door and held it open for her after she unlocked it

"All I could squeeze out was two weeks and I was lucky to get even that." She slipped past him and walked into the kitchen

"I guess we'll just have to make the most of it"

"Yeah, I gue…Jack!" she exclaimed and dropped her things to hug her brother who was coming into the kitchen from the living room.

"There you guys are" Jack McPhee pulled his little sister into his arms. "I saw the cars out there but didn't hear any noises" Although Andie only lived a few hours away, they didn't see each other enough and he missed her.

"Hey Pacey", he reached out to pull his friend into a one arm hug

"Hey man, you ready to officially become a part of this crazy Witter bunch?"

"I thought I was the one joining the crazy family?" Doug chimed in from behind them

"Hey!" Andie laughed and punched him in the arm before hugging him "You're only allowed to call us crazy when it becomes official"

"Ok, I can wait two weeks" he turned and grabbed his brother in a bear hug

"So this is what it takes to get you to come home huh?" he joked

"Hey, if you had popped the question earlier, I would have been here" Pacey could feel himself getting emotional. He'd talked to his brother often, but he hadn't seen him in almost 8 years. Doug had come up to DC when Pacey had first moved, but his life here kept him busy too.

"Ok guys, you're going to have plenty of time to catch up, but we are meeting everyone at The Ice House in" she looked at her watch "an hour, so move"

One thing that hadn't changed about her, Pacey thought to himself smiling as Doug walked him to his room was that Andie still like to take charge and organize things.

**Some of the dialogue in this chapter looks familiar because I used the deleted scene in the last episode. I loved that scene and wish they would have kept it in the version that aired. It showed the connection that Pacey/Andie still had**.


	5. Chapter 4

**TL22 - Thanks for the advice. Let me know if this works better.**

**Chapter 4**

Jen Lindley had mixed emotions, she was happy, tired and nervous at the same time. There was nothing and no one she loved more in the world than her little girl. Having Amy had changed her entire perspective of the world and she wouldn't trade it for anything, but right now, she needed a break. Amy was just getting over a summer flu and was trying to catch up on everything she had missed while in bed. Jen couldn't remember being this energetic when she was a kid, but Amy seemed to have enough energy for both of them. Grams had agreed to keep Amy overnight while Jen caught up with her friends.

She was really happy that they were all going to be together after all this time. She had kept in touch with all of them individually so she knew what was going on in their lives. She was proud of her friends and their accomplishments. She absolutely loved her job as a radio show host. The station had hired her right out of school as an intern and after a couple years, given her her own show. She had discovered in college that this was what she wanted to do. Of all of her friends, Jen felt like she had changed the most, which was a good thing.

When she had first come to Capeside, she had been so lost. She'd done a lot of stupid things and had hurt a lot of people. But over the years, she found herself and a lot of that had to do with her friends and her Grams. So she was thankful to have them all in her life. She had also been lying to them for the past six months about the guy she was seeing.

"You almost ready?" The man in question asked walking back into the room

She smiled and took a moment to appreciate all of him. He had always made her heart flutter, since they'd met and that had not changed over the years. "Almost, Grams picked Amy up while you were in the shower"

"What? I didn't get to say bye"

"Now you sound like her, you're going to see her tomorrow you know"

"Yeah, but I didn't get my goodnight kiss"

Jen laughed, he and her daughter had become really close over the last year. She knew that it was part of what had made her fall in love with him all over again. "I'll tell you what" she walked over to him and slid her hands under his shirt. "Why don't I make it up to you when we get back, we do have the entire house to ourselves, so you won't even have to be quiet." Her words trailed off as she took his lips between her teeth.

"Hmmm" he hoisted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist "we can start now" he started moving them towards the bed

"Dawson" Jen shrieked "We are going to be late and Andie will kill us"

"She'll be fine" Dawson kept moving

"No" she wiggled out of his arms "Come on, we have all night. You know you're as excited to see everyone as I am" She moved to the mirror to finish dressing.

"Ok, fine, but we are not getting out of bed tomorrow" he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her head. "We get two full weeks together and I don't have to sneak into town."

"I know" she looked at him in the mirror. "We have to tell them tonight"

"Hey I was ready to tell them months ago, you're the one who wanted to keep it to ourselves."

She and Dawson Leery had an interesting past. He'd been her first love in high school and he'd lost his virginity to her in college. Their relationship over the years had been up and down. They had briefly gotten back together in college, but had both realized then that it was for the wrong reasons. After that, they had remained friends and in a way grown closer to each other. Next to Jack, Dawson was the person who she shared everything with. He was the only one of her friends who visited Capeside regularly because his mother and little sister were here. Jen thought he also visited frequently because Dawson was a hometown boy at heart. No matter how successful he became, his heart was in Capeside. Whenever he came to visit, they would hang out and talk for hours. It seemed so natural when their friendship evolved into a relationship again.

This time around, it felt right. He loved Amy like she was his own and Amy adored him. Jen loved everything about him. He had the ability to make her feel like a high school girl with a crush and a woman with needs at the same time. He'd wanted to take out an ad in the paper telling everyone that they were together, but she'd been more reserved. They'd been down this road before and even though this time felt different, she wanted to be cautions. It almost felt like by them not telling anyone, they could protect this little bubble that they had created. The only person who knew was Gram and she'd been ecstatic. They'd planned to tell everyone else tonight.

"Hey" he turned her around to face him "They will be fine, I'm sure they will be happy for us"

"You're right, I'm just being silly" she took a deep breath "ready?"

"Oh man, how could I forget that? I thought Jack was going to murder Jen in her sleep that night. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time" Joey could barely contain her laughter now as she looked at her friends around the table. She missed this, she realized. She had made some great friends back in NY but it wasn't the same. They didn't know her like the people sitting around this table knew her. She glanced over at Andie sitting on her right talking to Dawson and then back at Pacey on her left who was talking to Jen across the table, but kept glancing back at Andie and smiled to herself. It felt really good to be here.

"Umm, hey everyone?" Jen said nervously and waited until she had their attention. "I need to tell you guys something, well we… we need to tell you guys something" She glanced at Dawson and squeezed his hand that she was holding under the table. "Dawson and I are engaged" He had asked her the night before and she'd said yes.

"What?!" Joey and Jack yelled at the same time, while Andie shot them a huge grin and Pacey shook his head smiling.

"Are you guys serious? OMG" Joey jumped out of her chair and rushed around to table to hug Jen first then Dawson. "Wait" she stepped back "When did this happen? I talk to both of you all the time and neither of you said anything"

"Yeah" Jack was still in shock.

"I'm sorry you guys, we didn't mean to lie to you, we just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while" Jen explained

"Speak for yourself" Dawson leaned down to kiss her forehead "I wanted to tell anyone who would listen"

"Well, I'm happy for you guys" Andie followed Joey's lead and hugged them. "And I'm sure Jack is too and will tell you once he gets over the shock." She threw him a look. "Right Jack?"

"Of course I'm happy for you guys" Jack said "I'm just wondering how Jen managed to keep it a secret." He joked

"Haha" Jen threw a crouton at him

"Well, now that's settled, tell us Andie, how is Peter?" Jen turned to her, she really wanted to take the focus off her and Dawson

Andie didn't want to talk about her breakup in front of everyone so she shrugged and said "He's fine, really busy"

"Is he going to be able to come down for the wedding?"

"Umm no, he couldn't clear his schedule" she avoided looking at anyone in particular and quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of the weeding, jack what else do we need to get done?"

Pacey toned out as they discussed the wedding details. Even after all this time, he knew Andie and knew when she was nervous. There was something she wasn't telling them and his curiosity was peaked. He spent the rest of the dinner alternating between catching up with his friends and wondering about Andie.

* * *

><p>"How did it go?" Doug asked Jack as he came into the room. He had declined their invitation to join the friends for dinner because he knew they would want to catch up.<p>

"Good, Jen and Dawson are engaged"

"Hmmm"

"You don't sound surprised" Jack questioned

"I am a cop you know, I observe things, I mean I didn't know for sure, but I had my hunch"

"And you didn't say anything? She's my best friend"

"And she told you when she was ready"

"What else are keeping from me?"

"Nothing relevant, but I am sensing some tension from the siblings"

"You noticed that too huh?" Jack finished changing and climbed into bed "What are we going to do about it?"

"Nothing" Doug reached over to kiss him "We are going to let them figure it out themselves"

"But if he hurts her…"

"I think that they will be ok, beside, do you _really_ want to talk about Andie and Pacey right now?"


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Andie tossed and turned for a few minutes before she looked at the clock on her phone and saw that it was only 5:30am. She knew that trying to go back to sleep now would be pointless so she decided to enjoy the silence of the morning before everyone else got up. She loved this time of the year. Summer slowly easing into fall, when the mornings were just cool enough to allow you to sit outside and enjoy the sunrise and the evenings were warm enough to allow you to appreciate the sunsets. She spent so much time in the hospital that she rarely got a chance to enjoy it.

She pulled on a sweatshirt twice her size over the tank top and shorts that she'd worn to bed and quietly made her way to the kitchen. She was surprised to see a pot of coffee already brewing but she didn't question her luck, just poured herself a cup and walked out to the porch. She got her second surprise of the day when she saw Pacey standing there leaning against the railing with his back to her.

Pacey had never been a morning person and would delay getting out of bed as long as he could manage. She used to tell him that the sunrise was one of the most beautiful things to see and he would say, I'd rather see the sunset. She stood there for a minute debating whether or not to join him but the decision was taken out of her hands when he turned and smiled at her.

"Morning" Pacey had sensed her presence the second she'd stepped in the doorway.

She stepped out onto the porch "Morning, you're up early"

"Is that a question or a statement?" he laughed

"I'm not sure, the Pacey Witter I knew would bite anyone's head off who tried to get him up before 8am"

"Well, people change McPhee" he laughed again at the skeptical look on her face "Honestly; I guess I've gotten used to it. Having to be the first one at the restaurant conditioned me to wake up early"

"Yeah, but you look like you're actually enjoying it"

"I've learned to appreciate it. What are you doing up? I thought you would take the opportunity to sleep in"

"My internal clock won't let me" she took a sip of her coffee "I have no problem taking power naps during the day, but once I wake up in the morning, I'm up."

"Well, good then we can catch up" Pacey watched her as she moved past him to sit on the first step, then followed and sat next to her.

"I thought we did that last night?" Andie had mixed emotions about spending time alone with him.

"I meant you and me" He turned so that he was looking at her profile "and you can start by telling me what's really going on with you and Peter"

"I told you guys last night"

"Uh huh, what were you leaving out?"

Andie knew Pacey well enough to know that if he were determined enough to get it out of her, he would. "We broke up" she said

She wasn't looking at him, so she didn't see the huge grin that crossed his face "I'm sorry McPhee"

She could hear the smile in his voice "Yeah, I can tell"

"Really, it sounds like you really liked this guy" now he was fishing

"He's a really nice guy, but we were looking for different things"

"What were you looking for?"

"I don't know, Peter was ready to settle down, and I guess I wasn't"

"You weren't ready to settle down? Or you weren't ready to settle down with him?"

Pacey willed her to look at him and when she did, he saw sadness in her eyes.

"I really don't want to talk about it"

"It's me Andie, you can talk to me about anything"

"But I can't. I can't talk to you about this, I don't want to and I need you to respect that ok? Now can we just change the subject?" she turned back to stare out at the water

He considered pushing her to talk but didn't want to ruin her morning so he slid over and dropped his arm around her shoulder in a friendly manner "Ok, we can drop it, for now"

She threw him an exasperated look but he only grinned in reply and changed the subject.

"So McPhee, what do you have planned for the day?"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

He threw his head back and laughed "come on, you have a list somewhere, with tasks for everyone, where is it?" He teased

"I do not have a list" she said haughtily "This is vacation, we are all free to do what we want to do"

"Umm hmm, so where is it?"

She sighed and pulled her phone out of sweatshirt pocket "fine there's a list, but it pertains to wedding stuff" she said over his laughter "stop laughing"

"Can't, you're cute when you get all huffy"

"I do not get huffy"

"Yes you do" he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger "Do you ever think how ironic it is?"

"What?" she cleared her throat. Pacey's was close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek

"Our brothers ending up together"

"I wouldn't say it's ironic, maybe fated?"

"Yeah, fate is funny that way" he paused before continuing "I use to think if there was a McPhee-Witter wedding, it would be…" he let the rest of the sentence trail off

"Some things just aren't meant to be" she turned to look at him. When had he gotten this close? His face was inches from hers

"And sometimes it just takes a while to get back where it's supposed to be" his hands caressed the back of her neck

"Are we still talking about Jack and Doug?" she whispered and licked her lips nervously

"I don't think so" Pacey lowered his head until his lips were hovering above hers giving her a chance to pull back. When she didn't, he touched his lips to hers gently, almost like he was testing them.

Her pulse was racing, this was what had been missing with Peter and every other guy she had been with. This feeling like she wasn't quite in control. Pacey was the only person who made her feel this way and although is scared the hell out of her, it also thrilled her.

His heart was pounding. He had wanted to do this since he'd seen her lying by the lake the day before. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this alive. He took his time slowly savoring her taste, exploring her lips, her tongue. The last time he'd kissed her, they had both been teenagers, still somewhat innocent. He'd been her first, and although she hadn't been his, their first time together had felt like a new beginning for him. And now he wanted that again, a new beginning with her. He shifted their bodies to bring them even closer.

Andie didn't want to think, she knew that if she started to think about what was happening, her sense of self-preservation would kick. Screw self-preservation, she thought slipping her fingers in his hair and deepening the kiss. This felt amazing. Pacey made her feel things she had deliberately avoided feeling the past few years, but with him, she didn't seem to have a choice. She loved his body, she'd always found him sexy, but the years had sculpted his face and hardened his body. She gave in to the feeling and melted into him.

Jack walked out on his porch to see his sister and almost brother wrapped around each other with no awareness of anything else. He wasn't sure what to think. On one hand the idea of Pacey and Andie getting together pleased him. Pacey was a great guy and they made each other happy, on the other hand, he had hurt her once and although Jack knew that Andie played a huge role in it, she was his sister and it was his job to protect her. He decided to take Doug's advice and let them figure it out on their own.

"This gives a whole new meaning to enjoying the sunrise" He said strolling over to the banister

Andie jumped back with a guilty look on her face "Jack!" she straightened her shirt and quickly stood up while Pacey leaned back casually. He really wanted to pull her back down to him and finish what they'd started, but he didn't think she'd appreciate the audience, so he watched as she picked up her empty coffee mug and made her way up the stairs avoiding eye contact with him.

"Umm, hey Jack, what are you doing up so early?" She tried for nonchalance

"It's 6:30" he said knowingly

"What!" How long had she and Pacey been out here making out "Oh, well…umm…I need to get ready for the day" she walked quickly into the house

"You do that" she heard the amusement in his voice from behind her

Jack and Pacey sat in silence for a few minutes

"I hope you know what you're doing" Jack finally said

"Jack…"

"Because I think you care enough about her not to break her heart again, so I'm going to stay out of it. Don't make me regret that"

"I love her Jack" He said simply

Jack nodded his acknowledgment and hopped that love would be enough for them this time around.


	7. Chapter 6

**Speedychetterbox – It's interesting, because I never really loved Dawson with any of his love interests on the show except Gretchen, but it somehow felt like Dawson and Jen were supposed to end up together. **

**Chapter 6**

"What the hell was that?" Andie muttered to herself

"What the hell was what?" Doug stretched and yawned coming out of his room

"Hey, morning, nothing I was just talking to myself. No work today?"

"Nope, Jack and I are taking the day off to finish up some things"

"Need help?" She wanted to do anything that would keep her busy and away from Pacey

"No, this is your vacation, relax"

"But-"

"Nope, go do things that people are supposed to do on vacation" he saw the disappointment on her face so he added "If we need anything, you will be the first person we call"

"Fine" she sighed "I have to meet Joey and Jen for breakfast anyway"

* * *

><p>"So tell me everything" Andie said across the table to Jen "How did he propose? When did you get back together? Why didn't you tell us?"<p>

"Slow down Sherlock" Jen laughed "I'll tell you guys everything when Joey and Audrey get here" Joey had gone to pick Audrey, her old college roommate up from the airport and they were running late. Andie had never met Audrey, but she'd heard a lot about her from her friends. She knew that Audrey and Jack had become good friends during college and had stayed in touch over the years, so she was glad that she was able to come down for the wedding.

"Anyway, my news isn't as interesting as what's going on with you and Pacey" Jen smirked

"What?" Andie choked on her coffee and started coughing. How did she know already?

"Don't act all surprised, I saw the looks you two were giving each other last night"

"What looks? I barely looked at him"

"Righhttt… and he totally wasn't undressing you with his eyes either" her eyes widened when Andie's face got bright red "Oh mi gosh, what happened?"

"Nothing, nothing happened" Andie tapped her fingers nervously on the table as Jen continued to stare at her "fine, he kissed me"

"When?"

"This morning"

"Where?"

She sent her an '_are you kidding me'_ look

"I don't mean where" Jen made a general gesture to her body "Although" she wiggled her eyebrow suggestively

"Jen" Andie laughed

"I meant where, as in where were you?"

"On Jack and Doug's back porch"

"Ohhh, no wait, what about Peter?"

"We broke up a couple weeks ago"

"Did it have anything to do with Pacey?"

"Not directly, he didn't think I wanted to commit to him"

"Did you?"

Andie shrugged "He's a great guy, but…"

"But he's not the one for you" she finished "So does this mean that you and Pacey are back together?" Jen asked her

"No, I don't know. It was just a kiss. Pacey and I had our chance a long time ago and it didn't work out"

"You mean like Dawson and I?"

"That's different, you guys have stayed in touch, reconnected over the years. Pacey and I haven't talked to each other in over 10 years, we've both changed and are at different places in our lives"

"Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe you weren't ready before for the intensity in your relationship, maybe you guys needed to find out who you were apart from each other to really be together"

"And maybe" Andie emphasized "things worked out like they were supposed to and we should leave the past where it belongs"

"Do you really believe that?" Jen questioned "Or are you afraid of getting hurt again?"

"What if I am? Is that so wrong?"

"No, but what's life without taking a few risks? Besides, even if you guys don't end up together forever, do you want to regret not being with him even if it's for a little while?"

"I have to think about it, besides it might not even be an issue, who knows how Pacey feels. He could have just been feeling nostalgic when kissed me."

"Like hell" Jen rolled her eyes "the way that boy was eye sexing you last night, there's nothing nostalgic about where his mind is"

Andie had to laugh again. "Do you think Joey would be upset if…?"

"Why would she? They were over a long time ago."

"Yeah but…"

"No buts Andie, Joey will fine. I mean she did date him after you did, so she can't get mad. Besides, Joey is over Pacey, the same way he's over her." Jen wondered if she should mention that she and Pacey had had a brief tryst, and then thought better of it because it hadn't been a big deal.

"Stop looking so guilty" Andie chuckled at the look on Jen's face "I know about you and Pacey"

"How!"

"Jack let it slip one day"

"Oh god…Andie"

"Jen, seriously, you don't owe me any explanations, you were both adults"

"I know but it really was more like two friends comforting each other. We were both just really lonely and… this isn't really helping is it?"

Andie shook her head "It's not like I've been celibate the last few years. Honestly Jen it's ok"

"What's ok?" Joey asked walking up to the table with Audrey behind her

"Nothing" Jen jumped up from her seat to hug Audrey "Hi!"

Andie waited until the greetings were over before smiling at Audrey "It's nice to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you"

Audrey not being one to hold back grabbed Andie in a hug "I feel like I already know you, I mean all I hear from Jack is Andie this, Andie that, Andie Andie Andie… he's really proud of you, you know"

"And I'm really proud of him" She beamed, she could tell that she was going to like Audrey

"Good, now let's order cause I'm starving"

"What were you two looking so serious about when we came in?" Joey questioned them

"Umm" Andie glanced at Jen who smiled encouragingly "Pacey"

"Did he finally make his move?" Joey laughed at the incredulous look on Andie's face "Oh come on, we all saw what was going on last night, I thought we were going to have to excuse ourselves to leave you two alone"

"It was NOT that bad" Andie could feel her face turning red

"Wait, Pacey as in your Pacey?" Audrey said

"Oh no, he's not my Pacey" Joey replied ""He never really was"

"Joey" Andie started

"I mean it Andie, Pacey and I were never meant to be, we both realized that a long time ago" Joey told her "I'm happy for you guys, this is long overdue"

"Slow down, it's not like we're back together"

"What are you guys waiting for?"

"I don't know" She told them what she'd told Jen earlier

"Ok, I don't know Pacey" Audrey joined the conversation "but if both you and Joey fell for him, then he can't be an idiot, I agree with Jen, don't put too much pressure on yourself and just enjoy the time you guys have together. "

"I will take all of your advice into consideration, but now I want to talk about Jen and Dawson"

"Yeah" Audrey shifted her focus to Jen "What the hell? How did I not know about this?"

* * *

><p>Pacey heard her pull into the driveway and hurried to finish up his preparations. She'd been gone most of the day, avoiding him he was sure, but she couldn't run forever. He knew that Jack and Doug were going to spend the evening in Boston, they had gotten a call from the wedding planner who needed them to sign off on some last minute stuff and had decided to make a night of it because neither was working the next day, so he decided to do the same.<p>

He'd realized that he'd never cooked for Andie and he wanted to share his passion with her. He wanted her to be proud of him, not just because of what he had accomplished, but because he was actually good at it. He'd cooked for some pretty important people, but making this meal had felt like his first time.

She walked into the front door calling out "I'm back, where is everyone"

"In the kitchen" he called out. He had decided to eat in the kitchen instead of the dining room because it was cozier. The kitchen was a great combination of modern and country, with booth style seating instead of the traditional table and an island that separated the seating area from the rest of it. They had decorated it in yellow and white accented by the black appliances.

"Hey" she walked hesitantly into the kitchen "Where's Jac-, oh wow, that smells amazing" she forgot her hesitation and went over to the stove to inhale the aromas coming from the pots, then turned back to him, "Did you make this?" She tried to reach in for a taste

"Yes" he gently nudged her away from the stove "And no, you do not get to taste until we sit down to eat"

"But…" she protested

"Uh uh…" he insisted covering the pot

"Fine, I guess I can wait for Jack and Doug, but this is torture" she inhaled again

"Actually' he said without turning "it's just us, Jack and Doug are in Boston for the night"

"What?" Andie felt her earlier hesitation come back as she finally looked around the room. There were two places set up with a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket and unlit candles placed around the room.

"Pacey" she turned back to him "What is all this?"

"Dinner" he said simply. He didn't want to scare her off again "I wanted to cook you dinner"

"I'm not sure this is a good idea"

"What? Eating?" he teased

"You know what I mean, after this morning I don't think…" her voice trailed off

"Then don't think Andie" he came to her, taking her hands in his "just have dinner with me and don't think about what is or isn't" he saw her softening "Please"

"You do that purposely, because you know I can't resist it" she narrowed her eyes

"I need all the help I can get" he leaned in and lightly brushed her lips with his

"Fine, but I'm going to at least freshen up a little, I've been running around all day in this"

"Well, I think you look great, but that will give me time to finish up in here" he kissed her on the forehead this time before letting go of her.

Andie thought about what her friends had said earlier. She knew she wanted to be with Pacey, that wasn't the problem. She didn't want to be left with that empty feeling again when it was over. She sat on her bed. She had two choices, she could either avoid Pacey the entire time she was here or close her eyes and dive in and see where it led to. She wasn't crazy about either choice, she didn't want to avoid him, but she didn't want to put it all out there either.

There was a third option, she pondered as she washed her face, brushed her teeth and changed into a blue and white sundress that fell a couple of inches above her knees. She could go into this with no expectations and no promises, that way when it was over, they could both walk away without hurting each other. Yep, that's what she was going to do. She brushed her hair and headed back to the kitchen before she had time to change her mind.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"We did some pretty stupid things back then didn't we?" Pacey laughed as he finished putting the dishes away. Dinner had been great. He couldn't help grinning when he thought about her expression after she had tasted his Chicken Scallopini. She'd gotten a look of pure ecstasy which had made him fluctuate between wanting to keep watching her eat and striping her naked and making love to her on the kitchen floor. And since she'd been a lot more relaxed during dinner than she'd been in the last couple of days, he didn't want to scare her off so he went with the former.

Andie found herself letting her guard down more as the evening wore on. She could always be herself with Pacey, he had a way of making her feel safe despite her earlier misgivings. The food had been amazing, she'd known that he was a chef and that he could cook, but this was incredible, he'd truly found his calling and she'd told him so.

"Remember when you dyed your hair blond" She picked up their glasses of wine and headed to the living room

"Remember when you dyed yours brown" he countered following her concealing their desert. He'd told her that it was a surprise and that she had to wait to find out what it was.

"Yeah well, I was crazy, you were just delusional" She put the glasses on the table and sat on the sofa facing him

"Funny McPhee, but if I recall, you thought it was cute"

"No, I thought you were cute, the hair was hideous" she smirked

"And yet, you still dated me"

"Like I said, you were cute. Now show me what is under there already" She reached for the top covering the plate in his hands

"Uh uh" he pulled it back "Close your eyes and open your mouth"

She shot him a skeptical look "That sounds like an awful pickup line"

"It must have hurt when you fell from heaven, that's an awful pickup line" Pacey leaned in and said softly "I go the more classic route. Like, damn, if being sexy was a crime, you'd be guilty as charged, or there must be something wrong with my eyes, I can't take them off you." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively

"You're ridiculous" she giggled "now stop playing and feed me" she closed her eyes and opened her mouth like he'd instructed

Pacey placed a piece of the desert on her tongue and watched her close her mouth and chew slowly, her face transforming to a look of pure pleasure

"Brownies' Andie said delighted. She used to love brownies. She'd once told Pacey about the time her brother Tim had eaten an entire pan of brownies with her after she'd had a bad day at school a couple of days before he'd died. After his death, she hadn't been able to stomach the thought of eating them without him. She knew it was irrational but even to this day had avoided them altogether.

"You remember"

"Yeah, I know you loved them and I don't ever want you to miss out on anything you love."

She felt the tears burning in the back of her eyes and turned away

"Hey" he gently turned her to face him "I didn't meant to make you cry"

"I know" she sniffed "I know, but this is so sweet, it's just so you"

"You know, you're one of the few people who would describe me as sweet" he joked

"Yeah, but they don't know the real you, all cynical and brooding on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside"

"Marshmallowy?" He protested "I am not Marshmallow…ly, that's not even a word"

"It's my word and I say you are"

"Take that back" he dove for her, his fingers going to the spot right below her ribcage where he knew she was the most ticklish.

"No" she shrieked, squirming and laughing "Pacey, stop!"

"Take it back" he continued to tickle her, pulling her into his lap

"Ok, ok!" she gasped between bouts of laughter "I take it back, you're not marshmallowy "

"Thank yo-" his hand slipped around her back

"You're just gooey" She jumped of his lap and made a beeline for the door before he had time to react.

Pacey was on her heels and caught up to her in the doorway, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around

The amusement in her eyes slowly turned to awareness as she realized how close they were. Pacey felt the mood change as he stood there holding her, neither speaking, both anticipating the next move.

He deliberately outlined her lips with his thumbs and watched her eyelids lower. He took it as an invitation when she tilted her head slightly, bringing it closer and met her the rest of the way. This kiss was different than the one they'd shared on the porch. The first had been an exploration, a sort of getting to know you again kiss. This time they took pleasure in each other. He lifted her up and carried her back to the couch, never breaking their connection.

Yep, this was what she wanted, Andie sighed with contentment, to be with him, for as long as it lasted.

He felt her sigh and pulled back slightly, wondering if she'd changed her mind "Andie, we can stop" it killed him to say it but he would do anything she asked "I don't want to rush you or anything"

"Shut up Pacey" she whispered closing the distance between them and meeting his lips again.

* * *

><p>"Did we really just do that?" Andie buried her face in Pacey's chest<p>

"What? You mean make love on our brothers couch in their pristine living room" he stroked her lower back

"Um Hmm" she nodded not lifting her head

"Yeah, we did, and I think that we should do it again" being with her again was everything and more than he had expected. If it were up to him, they would never leave this couch again. "Hell, I think we should have this thing framed"

"Pacey" she finally lifted her head to look at him

"Don't say it was a mistake" he said gently

"I wasn't going to" she caressed his cheek "and if it was, it was the best dam mistake I've ever made" she leaned down to kiss him softly

"Good" he wrapped his arms around her and pulled the throw over them "because I plan to make it again, and again and again…

* * *

><p>She woke up the next morning to the scents and sounds of breakfast cooking. She wrapped the throw around her making her way to the kitchen and couldn't stop the wide grin from spreading on her face at the sight of Pacey at the stove in his jeans, his back to her. She took a moment to watch him unaware before wandering over, slipping her arms around his waist and peaking over his shoulders to see what he was making.<p>

"Hmm French toast" she inhaled "What you didn't get enough cooking done last night?"

"Not if I get to watch you eat it" he turned and swept her up to kiss her

"You're burning your French toast" she murmured against his lips

"I don't care" he spun them around and lifted her so that she was sitting on the counter

"Well I do" she framed his face and gave him another quick kiss before jumping from the counter "That smells too good to waste" she teased and started pulling out plates and glasses from the cupboard

"Oh, I get it" he smirked "you just want me for my food"

"Oh, I want you alright, but I'll take the food for now"


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"You guys picked the perfect day to do this" Joey said holding the platter for Jack to put the burgers on. The wedding was two days away and they had decided to have an end of summer BBQ and had invited what seemed like the entire town of Capeside. She looked around and saw everyone from Jack's students to Doug's deputies scattered around the lawn.

"You guys have really built something solid here" she smiled at him proudly

"Yeah, a long way from my in the closet days"

"We all had to find ourselves and you have what most of us want"

"What a hot cop fiancé?" he joked

"That too" she laughed "But you found happiness"

"What about you Joey? It seems like everyone is finding each other, you seeing anyone special?"

"There is someone with a lot of potential," she told him "I'll keep you updated"

"You do that"

* * *

><p>"Hey you" Andie dropped down next to Dawson on the lawn chair. "We haven't really gotten a chance to talk and I haven't congratulated you personally. I'm so happy for you guys"<p>

"Thanks" Dawson lightly nudged her with his shoulders "Should I be saying the same for you and Pacey?"

She let out a little laugh "No, we're just… you know" she shrugged "I didn't come to talk about Pacey, what's going on with you? The last time we talked, you couldn't shut up about L.A. but Jen and Amy are rooted here. I know I'm prying, but have you guys talked about it?"

"I love L.A., no doubt, but Jen and Amy are my life. I can work from anywhere, I just have to travel out there once in a while"

"So you're moving back" She beamed. "Not to sound selfish, but I'm really glad".

He laughed and swung his arm over her shoulder "You are the least selfish person I know, but I'm glad too, not only do I get the love of my life, but I get to be closer to my mom and there is something about this place, no matter how far you go, it pulls you back"

"I know what you mean, but I think it's more the people than the place" Andie sighed and leaned back against his shoulder looking over to where Pacey was laughing and joking with Jen and Audrey. "Did you ever think we would all be here, together, after all of the crap we went through?"

Dawson thought about it for a second, "Yes, because life is too important to waste valuable time on useless fights between friends. Someone very wise said that"

"Right, my going away speech" she chuckled shook her head "I was totally full of it wasn't I?"

"No, you were right and you helped Pacey and I find our friendship again"

"You guys would have gotten there eventually"

He shrugged noncommittally and changed the subject "Well, my moving back means we get to hang out more"

"As long as we don't go bar hopping and singing the blues, I'm in."

* * *

><p>"Ok, so let me get this straight" Audrey was having trouble holding in her laughter as she listened to Pacey recount how his and Andie's first few meetings "So you faked being a cop and she gave you a fake disease blowing your chances with your fantasy girl. Sounds like she outsmarted you dude" Andie and Pacey were the only two of the group that she hadn't met before this week and she was enjoying getting to know them.<p>

Pacey had a great sense of humor and made everyone feel immediately comfortable with him and Andie had a way of putting people at ease without even trying. She had been determined not to like them as a couple, because even though Joey was over him, it was still girl code to hate on the best friend's ex, but even she couldn't deny that they were ridiculously perfect for each other. Even now, he couldn't stop glancing over to where she was chatting with Dawson. She exchanged knowing looks with Jen before excusing herself to join Joey and Jack at the grill.

"So" Jen linked her arm with his and started walking "Andie knows about our thing" she said with amusement, knowing how he would react

"What?" he stopped short and stared at her with a look of panic on his face "I mean, I was gonna tell her, but not now"

"Relax" She started walking again and pulled him along with her "She's fine and knows it didn't mean anything"

"Does Dawson know?"

"I told him. He fine too"

"Ok then, everyone knows everything" he breathed out with relief.

"Not everything" Jen glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes "This thing with you and Andie"

"You think it's a bad idea?" Of all of his friends, Jen had always given him the most honest advice

"Not if you're serious"

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life"

"I thought so, but it's good to hear you say it."

"What do I do Jen? This week has been amazing, we are reconnecting and I feel closer to her than ever, but she's holding back and I don't want to push her too hard too fast and scare her off"

"Give her time Pacey, she gave up on the idea of being with you a long time ago and she needs to readjust."

"You think so?" he asked hopefully

"I'm willing to bet on it"

* * *

><p>"What was it like? Out there, no one to answer to, no particular place to be, just on your own?" Everyone had left for the night, Doug was working the night shift and Jack was spending the night at Jen's. They were stretched on the couch, him propped against the arm and her lying with her head in his lap, the movie they'd been watching long forgotten. This was one of the things she missed the most about them. They could talk about nothing and everything for hours. She'd told him about Italy and he'd been telling her about the places he'd gone after leaving Capeside.<p>

"It was amazing, exactly what I needed at the time, you know? Everyone else was planning their futures and I had no idea where mine was heading" He took the hand that she had on her chest and entwined it with his.

"The future I'd envisioned was half way across the world and I had let it go" This was the closest that they had come to talking about their relationship. They had an unspoken rule to stay in the moment. Neither wanted to upset the bubble that they had created.

"Being out there gave me a lot of time to think, I realized that I didn't want to be a wanderer. Someone" he squeezed her hand "told me once that I could be anything I wanted to be and I made the decision to do something I loved. Don't get me wrong, I love the sea too, and I take every opportunity to go out that I can, but cooking is my passion and D.C. was the place where I got to invest in that passion."

The more he talked about his life in D.C., the more she realized what it meant to him. He had searched so long to find himself and where he was meant to be and he'd found it there. There was no way she would ever ask him to give that up and as much as she loved him, she couldn't give up her residency for him, not because she wasn't willing to, but because she knew that eventually she'd end up resenting him for it.

She'd gone into this know that it wouldn't work out, but facing the reality of it was painful. She wasn't sure she could do this for another week.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Pacey watched her as she walked down the aisle to take her place next to Jen. This was what he wanted, to see her walking down an aisle towards him. To hear her say that for better or worse, till death do them part, to see her look at him like she used to, with love and happiness glowing from her. He wanted forever with Andie and despite what she said, he knew that she wanted to same. She refused to look at him during the ceremony and was doing a pretty good job of avoiding him at the reception. Pacey finally tracked her down when they announced the last dance.

"You avoiding me McPhee?" he found her leaning against the wall in the back of the room

"I'm not avoiding you, I've just been a little busy"

"Dance with me" he reached out his hand

"Pacey, I'm really tired, I don't think that's a good ide-"

"Andie, dance with me…please"

She could never resist that look he gave her and she put her hands in his and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. Andie wrapped her arms around his shoulders and laid her head on his chest as the music began to slowly surround them. She couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face as they swayed

Pacey could feel her tears through his shirt "What's wrong Andie?" He tried to pull back so that he could look at her, but she kept her head firmly planted

"Nothing, it's just such a beautiful wedding" And it had been, but she was crying because she knew that this was the last time she was going to see him for a while. She had told Jack earlier that she needed to get back to Boston and was leaving right after the reception. She'd made that decision last night and had packed her things and put them in her car before the wedding. She planned to call her friends when she got back because she didn't want them to try to convince her to stay the rest of the week. The truth was, she didn't want to say goodbye to Pacey. She didn't think she would get through it without making a fool of herself. The last week had been amazing, but it was time to get back to her life before she got too attached. She'd eventually go back to Boston and him to DC and there was no point in dragging it out.

"We need to talk" Pacey wanted to tell her everything he had been feeling, thinking and hoping for.

"Not now, just dance with me"

He let it go for now because they had all week to discuss their relationship.

* * *

><p>Andie was drained by the time she reached her apartment. She'd decided to stop by the hospital on her way in to pick up a couple of files. She technically still had a week's vacation, but knew that she would go crazy if she didn't have something to do. Her 10-minute detour had turned into an hour and a half of consultations. Now she was physically and emotionally exhausted and all she wanted to do was crash for the next 12 hours. When she opened her door and flipped on the light, the last thing she expected to see was Pacey Witter sprawled out on her couch with his legs propped on the table and an angry look on his face.<p>

"Pacey?"

"Surprised to see me?" he said in a dangerously low voice. He didn't move from his position on the couch, but shifted so that he could watch her. "Well you shouldn't be Andie"

"Pacey" she repeated his name

"You left without saying goodbye"

"I couldn't"

"No, instead you ran, what the hell? The Andie McPhee I knew, never ran from anything"

She could feel herself getting angry "Yeah, well Pacey, I'm not the same person anymore ok? People change"

"Really? Did the last week mean so little to you that you couldn't even let me know you were leaving?" Pacey had gone to look for Andie after the reception only to be told by Jack that she'd gone back to Boston. At first he had been confused, then he'd gotten pissed. He'd gotten her address and spare key from Jack and had driven to Boston, not sure what he was going to do when he got here.

"Of course it did, I just didn't want…I didn't want things to get too complicated"

"Complicated" he laughed humorlessly "I think we are way past complicated"

"Exactly!" she said frustrated "And I didn't want it to get worse, what did you want me to do Pacey"

"Stay! Stay goddammit and figure it out, with me" He got up and walked to her

"Why? What would be the point? What happened was temporary, what's there to figure out?"

"We both know that this is not temporary, there is nothing temporary about us"

"It can't work Pacey, D.C's your home now, you found what you were looking for there and I would never ask you to give that up."

"Andie, you're my home and yes, I love what I do, but I would give it up in a second if it means spending the rest of my life with you"

"I would never ask you to do that?"

"You're not. Do you really need me to spell it out?" he took her hand and led her back to the couch "Fine, I should have told you this a week ago when I saw you laying there by the lake" He sat on the coffee table across from her and took both hands in his. "I once told you that you are the single most important being to grace my existence and that hasn't changed. When I fell in love with you, my entire world changed. I learned that I could love someone and they could love me without wanting anything in return. When I found out about Mark, that world crashed and I never wanted to feel that kind of hurt again, so I shut you out because you are the only person who could cause me that kind of pain. But you are also the only person who can make me feel complete. You said I found what I was looking for in D.C., but the truth is, I found what I was looking for the day you crashed into my life. A part of me has been missing for a long time and it wasn't until I was with you again that I realized what it was. You have my heart Andrea McPhee, it has always belonged to you".

"I was fine you know." She was fighting a losing battle with the tears "I was content with my life. I'd accepted that the great love of my life had come and gone and I was ok with that because a lot of people don't get to experience it. Then here you come in true Pacey Witter form, screwing it all up for me" She stared at him through her tears then jumped up to pace the room "Dammit Pacey, how are we supposed to make this work, with you in DC and me here? I still have another year of residency and I guess we can do the long distance thing for a year…"

She was so dame cute when she got all flustered. Pacey watched her pace for a few seconds before grabbing her hand and drawing her back to stand in front of him. "Well, my partners and I have been looking for the perfect location to open another restaurant and how much more perfect can you get than Boston? I've already pitched the idea and everyone agrees."

"Seriously?" she lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his neck "When did this happen?"

"About a week ago" he said pulling her into his lap and enfolding her in his arms

"I made you a promise once Pacey, you and me together again, happy, healthy and more in love than ever" She'd been overwhelmed by his words, but she needed to tell him "It may have taken 10 years, but I think we're here. I love you, I always have and I've always known that I always would. You like to say how much I changed you, but the fact is, you saved me. You thought me how to love unconditionally and I want to spend the rest of my life practicing it with you."

"Good" he stood up with her in his arms, "because I intend to spend the rest of my life showing you just how unconditional I can be. Starting now"


End file.
